A Brief History of the Iranian Oil Industry

Oil discovery in 1908 laid foundation for oil industry and BP

In 1908, the Anglo-Persian oil company struck oil at Masjid-i-Suleiman in the southwest of modern day Iran, the end of a seven-year odyssey of dry holes, disease and mounting debts. The discovery laid the foundations for the company that would one day become BP PLC and the rise of one of the world’s biggest oil powers.

Over the last century, Iran has become one of the world’s largest oil producers and a hard-nosed hawk within the...